Stacked

The state Senate has named conferees on the minimum wage bill, and some have noted wryly that the committee is stacked with senators who wanted to accept the House version of the bill and avoid conference negotiations.

There are only two conferees, Hee and Nakashima, who are likely to push to make the bill better for low-wage workers. The others appear eager to approve the House version, if not weaken it. I remain flummoxed how the legislative leadership has gratuitously dropped the proposed hike from $10.10 to $10, given how the "ten-ten" figure is the goal of the national Democrats for all states. Hawaii's Cost of Living is officially recognized as 55% higher than the national average. So why would Hawaii Democrats decide our lowest paid workers deserve a dime LESS than that national goal?

If Ways & Means Chair David Ige were not running for Governor this year, and Senate President Donna Kim were not running for Congress, we probably would be seeing an even weaker bill. So I guess our elections provide an occasional benefit.

Leave a Reply

Name (required)

Email (will not be published) (required)

By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the Star-Advertiser's TERMS OF SERVICE. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. Because only subscribers are allowed to comment, we have your personal information and are able to contact you. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. To report comments that you believe do not follow our guidelines, email commentfeedback@staradvertiser.com.